


Complete Conversion

by WhoIsWren



Category: DreamWorks Dragons (Cartoon), How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Alpha Toothless (How to Train Your Dragon), Angst, Blood and Violence, Chief Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Gen, Hurt Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Hurt/Comfort, Imprisonment, Love, Non-Consensual Violence, Protectiveness, Soul Bond, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-01
Updated: 2018-05-01
Packaged: 2019-04-30 15:23:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14499939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhoIsWren/pseuds/WhoIsWren
Summary: Everyone always said they were two sides of the same coin. Turns out they were right all along. But neither Hiccup nor Toothless are ready for what that really means. And the consequence such a bond brings.





	Complete Conversion

**Author's Note:**

> this is one of the darkest things I've ever written and it's not even that dark??? So there are a lot of descriptions of torture and violence, our boys are very hurt. Also there's some dark OOC moments towards the end, but it's not exactly the boys??????  
> I don't do super dark very well. I consider this mildly dark.

 

Hiccup woke with a start, a loud crash jolting him into consciousness. Slowly he became aware of his body and his surroundings, though a part of him wished he hadn’t. He was cold and aching, every inch of his body screaming in pain.

Everything hurt, absolutely everything.

His memory was foggy, a sign that he was suffering some sort of head injury, but he has vague recollection of flying with Toothless and a net coming out of the clouds. After that he remembers falling, entangled and ensnared in the net. He couldn’t free them soon enough, the ground closing in on them. Toothless tried to soften the blow, he always put Hiccup’s needs before his own, but he wasn’t quick enough.

After that all Hiccup remembers is pain. Lots and lots of pain.

Hiccup is no stranger to pain; he lost his leg and walks around with an admittedly very cool replacement. No amount of flare makes up for the constant discomfort of the prosthetic or the deep ache in his bone where his foot should be.

Hiccup is quite familiar with pain, but the agony he’s in now is something he’s never felt before.

Gently, he wiggles his fingers and toes, checking to make sure they’re all still there. It’s slow going, taking more energy that he has right now, but all remaining extremities are accounted for. Hiccup sags in relief knowing he still has a foot and his hands. The thought of losing another limb is one of his greatest fears.

That relief is short lived as he becomes aware of the pain in a few of his fingers. They hardly move and when they do it shoots a sharp pain up his arm and has him gasping for air. _Broken bones_. At least three of his fingers are broken which makes any escape attempt nearly impossible.

There’s an insistent ache in his shoulder, one demanding to be addressed. It aches something awful, as if it’s been twisted into an awkward position and left that way for days. That’s probably what’s happened, Hiccup has no idea how long he’s been trapped here.

Breathing is difficult, each inhale causing him to wince and whimper. He takes short shallow breathes to avoid the pain but even that yields its own ache. His entire torso feels like one giant bruise, though it’s not just bruises that cause his ache. Down his right side Hiccup notices a particular tug and sting each time he breathes or moves. Moving as slightly as possible Hiccup tests his theory but prays to the gods that he’s wrong.

Hissing in pain when his tunic pulls away from his skin Hiccup’s heart sinks. A large gaping wound extends down the length of his side, beginning just under his arm and curving to end near his navel. It’s long and thin but deep enough to cause worry.  Now that he knows the wound is there he can smell the tang of wet metal in the air, that specific stench of blood that fills the air. _Hiccup’s blood._

His eyes well with tears and for a moment he hangs there and silently cries. He is sore and he is bleeding; he’s alone and afraid. For one moment he lets his fears take hold, he lets them surround him and drown him in sorrows and nightmares, but only for a moment.

Breathing as deeply as he can without causing serious pain Hiccup swallows his fears. Wallowing won’t get him out of this mess, dwelling on his pain will not save him nor will it save Toothless.

Knowing he needs to figure out where here is, and more importantly where _Toothless_ is, Hiccup slowly opens his eyes for the first time since waking. It takes a moment for his eyes to adjust and the effort to keep his eyes open is taxing, his head already throbbing. Looking around and trying to move his head as little as possible, Hiccup scans his surroundings.

Wherever he was it was dark, cold, and dank. He was also completely alone in his cell, no Toothless in sight. The more his eyes focused the more he was having flashbacks of a time years ago when he was a prisoner just like he is now. This cave looks eerily similar to the cell he was kept in on Outcast Island. Alvin and the Outcasts hadn’t been an issue for years though; in fact they were trusted allies now.

So if he wasn’t being held captive on Outcast Island, where in Thor’s name was he?

More than the aching limbs and serious bodily injury he was certain he had, the fact that Toothless was nowhere to be seen terrified him most of all. If the people that had taken them were dragon hunters then there’s no telling what was being done to Toothless right now.

He desperately tried not to think about the possibility of Toothless being dead. There would be nowhere in the Archipelago these people could hide if that were the case, Hiccup would find them.

Shifting slightly Hiccup tried to move his shoulder into a more comfortable position. That proved useless when he realised there _was_ no comfort to be found in this cell. He was strung up like a piece of salted meat. His arms were tied above his head, twisted for optimal discomfort. Shackled to the sharp ground his bare feet were rubbed bloody and raw on the jagged cave floor. If that wasn’t painful enough his torso was strapped to a large wooden pole carved with spikes that dug painfully into his back.

Whoever was holding him was certainly well versed in the art of torture.

It wasn’t just the way he was restrained that pained him, it was the damage done to his body. Flashes of metal boots and sharp knuckles crossed his mind, the taste of blood still lingered on his split lip. The men that beat him knew every vulnerable spot on his body, knew the exact areas that would cause the most amount of pain.

Hiccup was honestly a little surprise he wasn’t dead yet.

The door to his cell creaked open and light burst through the darkness surrounding him. Hiccup winced, squeezing his eyes shut quickly. The light burned his eyes, having been stuck in pitch black darkness for so long. Boot steps echoed in the tiny cave and Hiccup could see shadows moving behind his lids.

“You can stop pretending to be unconscious Hiccup,” a high pitched voice told him. Hiccup hadn’t actually been pretending, merely waiting for his eyes to adjust, but he doubted these guys cared.  

A loud deafening crack reverberated around the room as an intense burning radiated from Hiccup’s cheek. His head snapped to the right as a fist struck him, blood pouring from his re-split lip. The pain of the strike lit a fire inside him, pain spreading to every aching muscle and bruised area. It was a never ending pain coursing through his body but he swallowed back the groan. He wouldn’t give his captors the satisfaction of his cries.

Hiccup spit out a disgusting glob of blood and saliva before turning his face to glare at his attacker. One of the most unfortunate looking faces smirked back at him. The man was tall, though he hunched his shoulders greatly. His skin a dusty brown, the same colour as his eyes which gave him a haunting look. Hair as dark as night was slicked back into a long braid that went to the man’s knees and his face was covered in scars.

_Dragon’s claws_ , Hiccup’s mind helpfully provided. That information didn’t bode well for Toothless, though.

“Who are you? What do you want with me? And where’s Toothless?” Hiccup demanded, his voice deepening to match that of his father’s. He missed Stoick more than words could ever describe but there were certain times when his father came to him, guiding him and giving him strength. Stoick the Vast would never let an enemy see him crumble, so neither would Hiccup.

The unfortunate looking man smiled with such glee Hiccup thought he was deranged, worse than Dagur had ever been. Inspecting his handiwork the man slowly walked around Hiccup’s suspended body, nodding approvingly as he went. Hiccup wanted to snarl at the man, bare his teeth the way a dragon would, the way _Toothless_ would.

“Fantastic work, Maksim,” the man praised as he reached Hiccup’s front again. A house of a man near the door bowed slightly. He was bigger than any Viking on Berk, no wonder Hiccup was in so much pain. “I am Jukka and you, Hiccup Haddock, were trespassing. These lands, the sea, and the sky all belong to me and no one enters unless I grant them access. You had no right being in my skies.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me?” Hiccup deadpanned. He couldn’t help himself sometimes; his mouth just ran with whatever it liked, with no regard to politics, manners, or self-preservation. He sighed, hoping he wouldn’t be too harshly punished for his retort but not holding out much hope.

“Do I look like a particularly joking man to you?” Jukka asked rhetorically. In all honestly, Jukka looked like the type of man that didn’t even know how to laugh or understand the meaning of happiness. He was a dark thundercloud, a shadow over the world.

“Look if I was on your land or fishing in your harbour I’d understand the whole trespassing thing, but the sky belongs to the gods.” Hiccup could see a vein on Jukka’s temple bulge, it was a clear sign to back down but that wasn’t Hiccup’s style. “Just give me Toothless and we’ll be out of your hair in no time. You’ll never have to see us again, and I’ll even tell every dragon rider to stay away from your island.”

It was a subtle jab, a reminder that there were people out there waiting for him, very dangerous people that would fight for him. Jukka already knew too much about him, he’d have to know that Berk was an island of dragon riders all loyal to him and Toothless. Loyalty earned is more effective than any fear tactic he’s seen vicious men use.

Jukka glared at Hiccup, his pale eyes creeping Hiccup out more than the man’s words ever could. Then he relaxed and that gleeful smirk from before returned. He acted as if everything was going according to plan still, as if this is exactly what he wanted Hiccup to say.

“You wish to see your dragon? Very well.” Jukka gestured for two men behind him to retrieve Toothless.

Every muscle in Hiccup loosens, his breath leaving him in a whoosh. Toothless is near, he’ll see him soon, that’s the best news he’s heard in days. He hangs there just breathing for a moment, the room around him silent though he feels the heat of Jukka’s gaze as if he were a Fireworm.

Two men came through the cell door backwards heaving a large object with them. They grunted and groaned as their large item dragged across the ground. Hiccup felt his stomach drop.

The item was large and black, bound tightly and muzzled. It also wasn’t moving.

_Toothless_. _No! Please, no._

For once Hiccup didn’t have the words, the man that used the power of his words to get out of any situation suddenly had none. The two big lugs threw Toothless in front of Hiccup who ached to reach out and feel cool scales beneath his hand. He wanted to bury his head in Toothless’ neck and have the dragon curl around him. What he really wanted was for them to be back on Berk where they belonged, whole and healthy.

Toothless looks just as beaten as Hiccup feels. There are thin welts all over his body, not knife marks or rope burns, but the evidence of a whipping. To leave welts on a dragons hide would require godlike strength. It made Hiccup sick to think about the torture Toothless has faced.

Combined with the welts there are dozens of bleeding cuts, some large others small, all in the most sensitive places. Some wounds are still oozing a bright red, others a sickly yellow puss. That isn’t a good sign; Hiccup doesn’t know if dragons get infections the same way humans do. What if the cure for humans doesn’t work for dragons?

That’s even if they escape this hellhole and it was looking more and more like they wouldn’t.

“Toothless?” Hiccup whispered, hoping and praying for any sign of life.

Toothless’ whole body jolted, as if he’d been shocked by a Seashocker or hit by a bolt from a Skrill. Hiccup let out a sob in relief, Toothless was alive and that was all that mattered. A low growl emanated from Toothless as the dragon swivelled his head around, surveying the room and the men with swords and spears surrounding them. It took a bit of shuffling – as his feet, tail, and wings were all bound – but he managed to turn enough that he could see Hiccup.

When their eyes connected it was like they could both breathe again. Green stared at green as relief and love poured out between them. Small croons and moans fill the crowded room, Toothless’ own brand of speech.  Hiccup understands him perfectly, as he feels the exact same way.

The pain, sadness, fear, and concern swim between them both. The feeling of love overpowers all of them though. They are together now and together they can survive anything, even death.

“You are a brave man Haddock and I can respect that,” Jukka sounds genuine and for a split second Hiccup thinks they’re getting out of this mess. Just a second of hope is enough to crush any man. “But I don’t think you’ve learnt the lesson I’m trying to teach you here.”

Hiccup’s heart sinks, though his eyes haven’t been able to tear themselves away from the sight of Toothless lying at his feet. Toothless shouldn’t look so helpless, bound as he is. Toothless is supposed to look strong and confident, the prideful dragon he’s come to love. While his eyes stay fixated on Toothless he is comforted to know that Toothless is taking stock of their cell, weighing up their options and looking for an escape route.

They’ve worked out a system over the years and know to work with each other’s strengths. Hiccup is best suited trying to deal with the humans, using his voice to sway them. Toothless on the other hand is able to use senses Hiccup doesn’t possess to survey the area and find their escape.

They work well together, always have.

Jukka walks around Hiccup again, slowly like a cat stalking its prey, his footsteps echoing throughout the cave. Once he completes his circle, Toothless’ slitted eyes following his every move, Jukka ducks to make sure he captures Hiccup’s eye.

Hiccup doesn’t glare at his captor, still hoping he can reason his way out of this. Smirking, Jukka takes a step towards Toothless. “A man like you cannot be broken by his body, only by his heart.”

Realising he must be suffering serious head injury because he has no idea what Jukka is talking about Hiccup stares blankly at the smirking man. He never stops smirking as his right hand reaches behind him and comes back with a large battle axe. Its blades are as sharp and pointed as a Razorwhip’s tail and are about the same length as Hiccup’s arm. It’s enormous, bigger than any axe Stoick ever wielded, and his father had a love for big axes.

Hiccup blinks, his eyes going from the axe to Jukka’s smirk and back to the axe. Slowly comprehension kicks in and Hiccup’s body feel as though he’s fallen into an icy lake.

“Jukka, don’t!” Hiccup yells, fighting against his restrains with all the energy he has left.

“Now you’ll learn,” Jukka declares as he raises the axe high above.

Toothless starts wriggling and moaning like crazy once he realises the axe’s trajectory. As soon as Jukka lowers that axe it’s going to imbed itself into Toothless’ neck. His dragon may be tough with a hide stronger than most but even Toothless can’t survive a direct axe hit to the neck.

There’s no way they’ll survive this.

As one Hiccup and Toothless are screaming, at the men surrounding them, at Jukka, even at each other. Hiccup begs and pleads, he offers up all of Berk’s gold, anything Jukka could want. Yet the man still raises the axe, readying for his blow.

There are tears running down Hiccup’s cheeks, he can’t lose his best friend. He’ll never survive without Toothless. He’s already lost his dad, he can’t lose Toothless too. He was nothing before Toothless came along and there were days when he thought about jumping off one of Berk’s cliffs. He was nothing so he wanted to truly become nothing.

Then Toothless fell out of the sky and Hiccup’s life changed forever.

The world was suddenly bigger and brighter than ever before. Suddenly there were possibilities; there was a reason to wake up every day, a reason to smile. With Toothless, Hiccup could image a life worth living.

People often mentioned how he and Toothless were like two side of the same coin, or two halves of a whole. It was exactly how Hiccup felt and he knew Toothless did too.

There was no Hiccup without Toothless.

The axe swung down.

“NO!”

There was a blinding blue light that enveloped the room. Distantly Hiccup could hear the men shouting, but it didn’t matter to him. Nothing mattered in that moment. It was as if something had taken over his body and his mind. He felt his eyes open wide yet they were unseeing. The binds holding him slipped from his body as he floated above the ground.

The light burned everything, burned though his shackles and burned through his mind. It was as if the light was wiping the slate clean, healing his wounds and burning away the darkness. It was warm and safe and entirely otherworldly.

The sounds around him faded away as the blue light turned a brilliant white. Hiccup wanted to shield his eyes but found he couldn’t move his arms. He was still floating but he knew he wasn’t in the cell anymore, he doubted he was on Earth anymore.

_Valhalla?_ The thought occurred to him, and it made a small modicum of sense. If Toothless was really gone Hiccup knew he wouldn’t be far behind, hoping to see his friend in the afterlife. He didn’t think it would have been this immediate but he can’t say he minds.

“You can open your eyes now, my children,” a feminine voice softly spoke. It seemed to echo, as if there was nothing around them for miles. Her voice sounded pleasant though, warm and kind. Like a mother.

Hiccup opened his eyes, even though he knew they were already open, it was the strangest of feelings. He feared that he had lost his sight forever, already missing a leg he didn’t think he could handle being blind as well. When his eyes truly opened he was surrounded by white, a pure blinding white, and a woman stood before him.

She was as taller than the buildings on Berk, rough as tall as their chief statues, yet her size did not make sure monstrous. Clothed in white robes the woman had long dark hair, unbraided in a way Hiccup hadn’t seen before. All the woman he knew braided their hair, as did the men; it was a vital part of their culture.

She smiled kindly at him first then her eyes moved to his right. Hiccup followed her gaze.

“TOOTHLESS!” Scrambling for purchase Hiccup was relieved to be in control of his limbs again as he ran for his fallen friend. A part of his mind was amazed that he could move at all, that the pain burning his body was no longer, but a larger part just wanted to be near Toothless. Hiccup fell on top of Toothless and buried his head in his dragon’s side. He wept for his friend, his dragon, his other half. Toothless shouldn’t have had to end his life that way; it should have been years from now after a long and happy life.

Hiccup was so consumed by his grief that it took him a moment to notice the snuffling against his hair, the rhythmic thumping of a wagging tail, and the familiar presences of being encased by paws and wings.

“Toothless?” Hiccup pulled back and looked into bright green eyes. Toothless crooned softly and licked Hiccup’s face causing him to laugh through his tears. “You’re okay? You’re really okay?”

Toothless crooned again, leaning his head against Hiccup’s. Taking a moment to enjoy the closeness Hiccup sighed and rested against his dragon. They were probably both dead right now, their corpses lying in a heap in some dingy cell. If Valhalla meant he got to be with Toothless then Hiccup couldn’t complain too much. He’d miss Astrid and everyone back on Berk, but he’d be with his best friend.

“This is not Valhalla, Hiccup,” the woman spoke again, humour lacing her tone.

Hiccup jerked away from Toothless, having completely forgotten there was an enormous woman standing behind them. Likewise, Toothless stood up, curling his tail around Hiccup and flaring his wings slightly. Not exactly intimidation yet, just letting the woman know that Hiccup belongs to him.

Every time Toothless got possessive of him Hiccup felt something warm bubbling inside his chest.

“Who are you? How did we get here?” Hiccup asked hesitantly, placing a hand on Toothless’ head to calm both himself and his dragon. He’s never been that close to losing Toothless before, he doubts he’ll be letting the dragon out of his sight for a long time coming.

“I am someone who watches over important couples, such as the two of you,” she smiled at them lovingly. Hiccup noticed how she didn’t exactly answer his question but her smile had him looking past that. “You are both here because you have finally evolved.”

“Evolved? Into what?” Hiccup asked, sceptical. He didn’t like feeling like an experiment.

“Into one.” The woman stretched out her arms as faint images flashed in front of them. There were dozens of images scattered around the room in a confusing cacophony, yet they looked familiar.

It was them, _Hiccup and Toothless_ , images from their entire friendship.

The moment Hiccup shot down an almost invisible shape in the sky. A shot he shouldn’t have been able to make.

When he stood above a bound and injured Night Fury, a blade in his hand, and survived. The Night Fury could have easily shot him the moment he appeared, as his instincts were surely telling him to do. Hiccup shouldn’t have survived that encounter.

Images of the black dragon stuck in the cove, unable to climb, fly, or even hunt. A downed dragon is a dead dragon. Toothless should have died in that cove.

The images flew past, moments where things should have ended differently, moments when the impossible happened. Toothless and Hiccup should not be where they are now, yet fate has brought them together time and again.

“One soul residing in two bodies has now _merged_ ,” the woman spoke again, lowering her hands as the images dispersed. The last image, the moment Hiccup’s hand made contact with Toothless’ head, the moment their bond first formed solidified something new inside them now.

Hiccup gasped, eyes wide, as he clutched his chest. Toothless was giving a similar reaction next to him, feeling the same pull as Hiccup was. It felt as though his heart was trying to beat out of his chest, like his soul was leaving his body and hovering above the both of them. The empty feeling lasted only a moment before Hiccup felt full of life, fuller than he could comprehend. He felt larger, stronger, wiser, happier; better in every way.

He felt complete.

His soul and Toothless’ had literally merged, just as the woman instructed. They really were two sides of the same coin, one being in two bodies, two peas in a pod. All the clichés imaginable couldn’t prepare Hiccup for the melding of two souls into one.

It was incredible and overwhelming, his eyes welling with tears though a smile bloomed on his flushed face.

Turning, Hiccup faced Toothless to see a similar expression on the dragon’s face, goofy smile and all. Hiccup could feel Toothless in a way he’s never been able to before. He could feel the dragon inside him; feel his thoughts and the movement of his body as if it were Hiccup’s own. Toothless tilted his head to the side, ear fins twitching; Hiccup felt the movement as if he’d used his own muscles to move.

It was the freakiest experience of his life. Freakier than anything the twins could ever come up with.

_*Hiccup? This is strange.*_

“ _Woah_ ,” Hiccup breathed, his eyes widening even further. That couldn’t have been what he thought it was could it? “Toothless did you just _speak_?”

Toothless’ ear fins flattened and he sighed. Hiccup could actually feel Toothless’ disappointment; it was heavy yet full of jest. This was weird and would definitely take some getting used to.

_*I speak a lot Hiccup; only difference is that you apparently hear me now. About time, too,*_ Toothless grumbled. Strangely, the dragon’s mouth moved and his usual croons and garbles came out, yet inside his head Hiccup could hear the words perfectly.

“Hey! It’s not my fault I don’t speak dragon!” Hiccup protested, crossing his arms over his chest. He could feel Toothless’ intrigue at the movement as the dragon looked down at his own front paws.

Yeah, this whole _‘feeling the other’s body’_ is going to be really weird for a really long time.

“Go, dear children. Live and love as one.” The woman’s voice sounded as soft and soothing as a lullaby as she smiled at them. Slowly the white room and the tall woman faded from their eyes.

The feeling of floating returned, as did the heaviness of their bodies. Hiccup noticed that although their more serious injuries had healed in the light, the deep aches of his muscles remained.

He could tell they were back in the cell, the dank air swept against his skin and the moans of the stunned Vikings echoed off the cave walls. It was as though most of his senses returned to him, but something was different. He wasn’t fully himself, he wasn’t exactly Toothless either. He was something else, _they_ were something else.  

Controlled by an unseen force the two of them moved as one, their eyes open yet unseeing. As one they roared, a battle cry like no other, filled with protective fury and a deep desire for revenge. As one they moved, Toothless firing with perfect aim at the scattered men and Hiccup flanking him with Inferno slicing and burning through any resisting men.

It was bloody and vicious, it was death and destruction. Music like snapping of bones and tearing of flesh carried across the air, the smell of blood and burning flesh thick and pungent. There were shouts of pain, and pleas of surrender, yet all were dismissed. None would leave here alive.

By the time Hiccup and Toothless came back to themselves they were on the outer edge of the island. They were drenched in blood, though none of it was their own. Toothless’ teeth were even covered in human blood as if he had bitten more than a few Vikings. Hiccup’s hands and arms were slick with the stuff, Inferno dripping with warm blood in his hand.

Turning, they both looked back at the island they had been held at, or what was left of it anyways. Smoke billowed from several buildings and roaring flames engulfed the surrounding forest. The caves they had been imprisoned were nothing but a pile of rubble now, having collapsed with a few well-placed shots.

The most distressing thing of all was the utter silence. They were no cries for help or shouts of anger, not even any moans of pain. The entire village was silent except for the crackling of the raging fire.

They had destroyed an entire village.

_How many people had died this day?_

Hiccup turned back to Toothless who looked just as repulsed and guilt ridden as Hiccup felt. Opening his mouth, it took him several attempts before he found the words. Though no words could make up for what had transpired this day.

“We, we don’t mention this to anyone back home,” he began. It was perhaps the cowardly choice but he didn’t want his people to look at him as if he was a monster. “It wasn’t really us, we had no control.”

Toothless looked sceptical but he nodded anyways. Being able to feel the dragon’s emotions was helpful in situations like this, when Toothless was trying to be strong for Hiccup’s sake. Looking closer at their new bond Hiccup could tell that the dragon was terrified, absolutely petrified. It wasn’t the killing that scared him – Toothless was a natural predator after all – but the helplessness of not having control over his own body.

Memories of Toothless stalking towards him, a fire burning in his mouth ready to shoot, were shared between them. They were both remembering the same thing, reliving that horrible day.

_Stoick_.

_*Not our fault, right?*_ his voice was so soft and worried, looking for someone to tell him everything was going to be okay. Toothless looked so vulnerable, eyes large and wet looking, like he was afraid Hiccup was going to tell him he really was the evil killer he feared he was.

Hiccup’s heart broke for his companion. Reaching out he scratches the underside of Toothless’ jaw, ignoring the sticky blood. He didn’t blame Toothless for Stoick’s death, never had. He wouldn’t blame the dragon for this either.

“ _No, bud_. It wasn’t our fault. We’re not monsters.” Looking back at the burning village Hiccup sighs. It will take a long time before he stops feeling guilty over this, but he has to. _The needs of the many outweigh the needs of a few,_ as his father would have said. Right now Berk needed their leaders. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

On their flight home they mostly stayed silent, both lost in their thoughts and jagged memories of the past several days. They had taken a long dip in the ocean to wash away the blood, _thank the gods_ , but they both could still taste the blood in the air. It would be many moons before the taste dissipated.

What had they done?  They weren’t violent people, ever. This wasn’t like them at all. Having your freewill stolen from you and used as a weapon to hurt others is a horrifying experience. Hiccup rubs the spikes between Toothless’ eyes feeling sorry that this was the second time Toothless had to experience it.

“Fear not, children. Newly merged couples are vulnerable and very weak. If in danger a guardian takes over to ensure the couple survives. It will not happen again. Put the past behind you and live together in freedom and peace.”

The tall woman’s voice reverberates in their minds as if she was standing before them, yet she never appears. Her words carry along the winds, taking with them the guilt and sorrow Hiccup and Toothless were feeling.

It truly wasn’t their doing.

Sighing as one the man and dragon released their tension and let it bleed out of them. It would do no one any good if the leaders of the tribe and the dragons were wallowing over mistakes that neither truly made.

It wasn’t nearly that simple, but they had to start somewhere for the road to healing was a long one.

“Now that I can hear what you’re saying, I can finally ask you all sorts of questions that you can actually answer! This is going to be so cool!” Hiccup exclaimed, a large grin overtaking his face. It was a bit forced but he needed to lighten the mood and take their minds of darker things.

_*I could just ignore you,*_ Toothless snorted, beating his wings to carry them higher in the sky.

_Yeah_ , they’d be okay. They had each other and were joined in some of the most intimate ways imaginable.

They were one soul, one being. One heart and one mind, shared together.

They could handle anything the gods threw at them.

**Author's Note:**

> How did I do on a darker fic?? Anyone hating the Hiccup and Toothless violence and murder thing? Even if it wasn't them?? 
> 
> [My Tumblr](http://www.nothing-personal-my-dear.tumblr.com)


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